Improved marine propeller



EUGENE LACROIX, JR., OF ROUEN, FRANCE.

llVlPROVED MARINE PROPELLER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3393, dated December10, 1861.

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGNE LACROIX, Jr., of the Empire of France, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Applying and VorkingPropellers in Boats and Vessels; and I do hereby describe and ascertainmy said invention as follows.

This invention relates to a novel mode of fitting or applying propellersand in the mode of working or driving` them so that the full or eectivepower of the propelling-engine may be transmitted or exerted whateverthe variation may be in the immersion or load line of the boat or othervessel, and by which novel mode of applying the propelling apparatus thewash of the receding waves prodnced by the action of the propeller isrendered harmless to the banks of canals. Instead of fitting thepropeller or propellers (Whether screw, paddle, or other form) in theordinary manner of applying' and Working them, I mount the propellinginstrument or apparatus in a frame which is capable of being raised orlowered at pleasure by means of worm and wheels and rack gearing' to anextent between the limits of the lightest and the heaviest load-linesorlines of immersion. The sliding frame just described is fitted in asuitable recess or trough-like chamber, the sides whereof confine theagitated water within, and is discharged at the end of thechamberortrough-like box, limited in width, and rendered harmless to thebanks; and thus while the vessel only prod uees such waves in advance-asare due to the speed at which the vessel is propelled the washing awayof the banks produced by the agitation of the propeller is avoided.Motion is communicated from the driving-shaft of the engine to thepropeller through or by means of wheel-gearing, a sliding wheel beingfitted upon a vertical shaft provided with a feather to allow of thesliding propeller-frame and the driving-wheel traversing freely up anddown, while the eye of the driving-wheel slides along the shaft, whichis caused to rotate by the driving-wheel of the propelling-shaft or theintermediate shaft. One or more feathered shafts may be used for givingmotion to the propeller, and they may be driven or rotated by miter,bevel, or spur gearing.

The plans hereunto annexed show the arrangement to which preference hasbeen given by the inventor in order to render the position of propellersvariable. The invention is shown as applied to the screw-propeller; butit may also be applied to other descriptions of propellers.

One of the distinguishing features of this invention also consists inthe form given to the after part of the vessel. It will be observed inthe drawings hereunto annexed that a recess or opening is formed at thispart of the vessel, which is thus divided, as it were, into two hulls.This opening or recess presents the double advantage of enabling themachinery giving motion to the propeller to be inclosed and so placed asto be protected from all chance of accident, and also to confine thecurrents of water so that the canalbanks are preserved from destruction.Instead, however, of forming the opening at the after part of thevessel, as shown, there maybe two partition or division pieces, eitherof wood or metal, fixed there-one on each side-between which thepropeller would work.

In the accompanying drawings is shown, by way of illustration, anarrangement of machinery and apparatus adapted to rotating and working ascrew-propeller according to this invention.

Figure l is a plan of the after part of the vessel fitted with apropeller and machinery; Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 anend view, of the same.

In the several views the same letters of reference are employed torepresent corresponding parts.

A is the steam-engine; B, aspur-wheel fixed upon engine-shaft; O, apinion worked by the wheel B; D, a shaft carrying the pinion O, and alsohaving at its extremity a bevel-Wheel E, tixed at the extremity of theshaft D; F, a bevel-wheel gea-:ing into the wheel E and fixed at the topof the vertical shaft G, working in a bearing-bracket II and at the footin a step I; J, a bevel-wheel made to slide up and down the shaft G upona feather; K, a bevelwheel taking into and driven by the wheel J andemployed for working the propeller-shaft L, carrying at its extremitythe screw-propeller M; N, the bracket-frame; O O,cast iron grooves fixedto each side of the opening formed at the stern of the vessel, in whichgrooves the bracket-frame N slides; P P', racks fixed on either side ofthe upper part of the bracket-frame; Q Q', pinions gearing into suoliracks; R,ashaft carrying the pinions Q Q 3 S, a Worin-wheel at theextremity of shaft R; T, a Worm gearing into the Worm-Wheel S; V, avertical spindle carrying the Worm, upon which is fitted a handle V.

XVhen it is desired to vary the position of the propeller, so as toplace it with regard to the draft of the vessel, the screw-Worm T is putin motion by means of the handle V, and through the Wheel S the motionis transmitted to the pinions Q Q', gearing into the racks P P', andthus the bracket-frame N is caused to Work up or down in the grooves OO. As it is indispensable that While the bracketf rame N is being causedto rise or fall the teeth of the wheels J and K remain always in gear,the eye of the' Wheel J is provided with a feather-Way. The boss of theWheel J also has a groove turned in it for the purpose of receiving aforked or clutch bracket Z, projecting from the back of thebracket-frame N, so that When the braelzebframe N Works up or down inthe grooves O O, through the action of the forked piece Z, thebracket-frame carries the propeller, and the miter-wheel J, which thusremains constantly in gear with the ruiter-Wheel K, communicates themotion to the propeller-shaft.

To prevent damage to the teeth ofthe Wheels from any floating obstacles,the Wheels J and K should be inolosed in a suitable easing.

That I claim as my invention is- The combination of a propeller mountedon a sliding frame, as herein set forth, so as to be raised and loweredWithin a recess in the stern of the vessel, so that said sliding frameshall receive its support from the sides of the recess to strengthen andbrace the frame and proteet the propeller, as and for the purposesdescribed.

EUGNE LACROIX, JR.

l/Vtnesses: Y

HENRY XV. SPENCER, GEO. HUTTON.

